File:Stories about birds of land and water (1874) (14748545484).jpg

Identifier: storiesaboutbird00kirb (find matches)
Title: Stories about birds of land and water
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Kirby, Mary, 1817-1893 Kirby, Elizabeth, 1823-1873
Subjects: Birds -- Juvenile literature
Publisher: Hartford (Conn.) : American Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
long toes. The legs are generally tall, to raise thebird out of the mud. The wading birds only frequent the sea-coast during the winter. Inthe warm days of spring they fly away to the north, and seek the fensand moors far from the abodes of man. The sportsman who wishes tosee them in their summer haunts must prepare for many difficulties, andthink nothing of a walk through a quagmire of reeds and rushes. And if hemakes the slightest noise, and does not creep along in the most cautiousmanner, the birds will be gone before he catches sight of them. When onthe moors they are scattered about, but on the sea-shore they form themselvesinto flocks, and may be seen following each other in a long line as they wade THE CURLEW. 207 about on the sand, picking up crabs and worms. The mother bird is so hkcher mate that she can hardly be distinguished from him. The curlew is a very common bird, and well known on all our wastes.Its home and haunts are amid the wildest spots in Britain, and to glance
Text Appearing After Image:
THE CURLEW. at it in its every-day life is to give a sketch of some wild waste or sandypasture, near the sea, and that is sometimes covered with the tide, and thenleft bare. Here are gulls flying about with their silvery plumage, and cormorants 2o8 STOJ^IES ABOUT BIRDS. far out at sea, busily catching fish, and golden plovers, and snipes, andhundreds more, all enjoying the loneliness and the security of the spot.Among them stalks the curlew. You see that he has long legs, like theheron, and a long bill. He thrusts his bill into the soft sand, and worksit about. Then he draws out a worm, which he swallows, withdraws hisbill, and looks carefully round. By-and-by he picks up a snail, and now andthen he discovers a crab lurking behind a stone. He is very shy and suspicious, so that it is said by the sportsmen in theHebrides, that to kill seven curlews is enough for a lifetime. When alarmed they spread out their wings, run forward a few yards,utter loud cries, and fly away. They equally fr

Note About Images